Croda Posts 6.3% Rise In H1 Profit, Lifts Dividend

Croda International PLC COIHY posted a 6.3% rise in its pretax profit for the first half. Croda's sales for the period rose 1.3% to GBP562.7 million, from GBP555.3 million, in the year-ago period. Its operating profit climbed 4.2% to GBP139.1 million from GBP133.5 million, while profit before tax jumped 6.3% to GBP133.1 million from GBP125.2 million. Croda's diluted EPS climbed to 67.2 pence from 61.8 pence. Croda lifted its dividend by 8.4% to 29.0 pence from 26.75 pence.